DRAGON'S BLOOD TREE. 



479 



round, the main branch or tap root measures 110 

 feet in length.* 



It often happens that the profusion of leaves 

 and of drooping houghs almost hide the stem, 

 and the whole forms a hemispherical mass of 

 verdure, 140 to 150 feet in diameter, and sixty 

 to seventy feet high. The wood is pale-coloured, 

 light, and soft ; so that in Abyssinia the wild 

 bees perforate it and lodge their honey in the 

 hoUow, which honey is considered the best in 

 the country. The negroes on the western coast, 

 again, apply their trunks to a very extraordinary 

 purpose. The tree is liable to be attacked by a 

 fungus, which, vegetating in the woody part 

 without changing the colour or appearance, 

 destroys life, and renders the part so attacked 

 as soft as the pith of trees in general. Such 

 trunks are then hollowed into chambers; and 

 within these are suspended the dead bodies of those 

 to whom are refused the honour of burial. There 

 they become mummies, perfectly dry, and well 

 preserved, without further preparation or embalm- 

 ing, and are known by the name of giuriots. 

 The boabob is emollient and mucilaginous : 

 the pulverised leaves constitute lalo, a favourite 

 article with the natives, which they mix with 

 their daily food to diminish excessive perspira- 

 tion; and which is even used by Europeans in 

 fevers and diarrheas. The flowers are large, 

 white, and handsome; and in their first expan- 

 sion bear some resemblance to the white poppy, 

 having snow-white petals, and violet-coloured 

 stamens. Both flowers and fruit are pendant, 

 and the leaves drop off^ before the periodical rains 

 come on. The fruit has already been described; 

 it is of an oblong shape, of considerable size, 

 and tastes like ginger-bread, with a pleasant acid 

 flavour. The expressed juice, when mixed 

 with sugar, forms a cooling drink, much used 

 in putrid fevers : this juice also is generally 

 used as a seasoning for corn-gruel and other 

 food. 



Dragon's Blood Tree, (dracoena draco). Hex- 

 andria, monogynia, of Linnaeus. This tree is a 

 native of the East Indies, but is found in the 

 Canary islands, growing to an immense size. It 

 has a singular appearance,t which can be better 

 understood by a figure than by description. 

 Humboldt describes one he saw in the Canary 

 islands as forty-five feet in circumference. Ac- 

 cording to Sir George Staunton's measurement, 

 one he saw was twelve feet in diameter at about 

 ten feet from the gi'ound. It is held in great 

 veneration by the Guanchos, or inhabitants of 

 these islands; is of extremely slow growth, and 

 endures for ages. It and the boabob tree are 

 perhaps the oldest vegetable inhabitants of the 

 globe. 



At certain times the trunk cracks in various 



* See Plate XI. fig. 3. t See Plate VII. fig. 3. 



parts, and emits a gum which concretes into 

 tears, and is the red substance commonly known 

 as dragon's blood. Other trees, however, yield 

 a substance similar to this, although not reckoned 

 so genuine. It being originally a native of the 

 East Indies, the high veneration in which it is 

 held by the Guanchos of the Canary islands, 

 would indicate its introduction into those islands 

 from the Indian continent; as also the original 

 country of the primitive inhabitants of those 

 islands. 



Dragon's blood was at one time highly esteemed 

 in medicine; but it is now little used. It pos- 

 sesses astringent properties in a very considerable 

 degi-ee. 



Pandanus. There are several species of this 

 family natives of the East and West Indies. 



The Green-spined Pandanus (p. odoratis- 

 simusj, is a large spreading, branching bush, 

 with imbricated leaves, which embrace the stem, 

 bearing some resemblance to those of the pine 

 apple. They are from three to five feet long, 

 and are placed in three spiral rows round the 

 extremities of the branches. 



It grows in all soils and situations in the warm 

 parts of Asia. It grows readily from branches, 

 whence it is rare to find the full grown ripe fruit. 

 The tender white leaves of the flowers, chiefly 

 those of the male, yield that most delightful 

 fragrance for which they are so generally esteemed, 

 and for which the plant is cultivated in Japan. 

 Of all perfumes it is by far the richest, and 'most 

 powerful. The lower pulpy part of the drupe, 

 is sometimes eaten by the natives in times of 

 scarcity and famine. The tender white base of 

 the leaves is also eaten, raw or boiled, at such 

 times of scarcity. The taste of the pulpy part 

 of the drupe is very disagreeable. The roots are 

 composed of tough fibres, which basket makers 

 use to tie their work with. They are so soft 

 and spongy, as to serve the natives for corks. 

 The leaves are composed of longitudinal tough 

 fibres, which are used for various purposes. In 

 the South sea islands, where the pandanus is 

 also a native, this or some other species or variety, 

 is employed for making mats. The leaves are 

 beautifully white and glossy. In the Sandwich 

 islands these mats are handsomely worked in a 

 variety of patterns, and stained of difierent 

 colours. The branches being of a soft, spongy, 

 juicy nature, catjtle will feed on them when cut 

 into pieces. At Otaheite, they call this tree 

 wharra. 



Snakewood Csecropia peltata). This tree is 

 a native of Jamaica, is singular in having the 

 trunk and branches hollow everywhere, and 

 sloped from space to space with membranaceous 

 septas or divisions, and answering to so many 

 annual mai'ks on the surface. The leaves are 

 large, peltate, lobed like those of the papaw tree, 

 and placed at the ends of the branches. The 



